High performance engines for racing vehicles and for other high performance engines require large volumes of air and fuel to be delivered accurately to the cylinders of the engine. In the past, various fuel injection and carburetion features have been developed to provide the proper mixture in the desired amounts for high performance.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,807,512 and 5,809,972 disclose four barrel carburetors that include booster venturis known as venturi rings positioned in surrounding venturi sleeves. Fuel injectors supply liquid fuel under pressure to the booster venturis to help form a high velocity, low pressure air stream that is located within the venturi section of the surrounding venturi sleeves. The combination of the inner and outer venturis makes a high velocity, low pressure area where fuel is both drawn into and is injected into the air stream. The liquid fuel that is induced and injected into the air stream is transformed into a fog from cylinders of the high performance engine. Induction conduits extend from the carburetor to the inlet valves of the cylinders of the engine and direct the air/fuel mixture to the engine.
While the use of the booster venturis in this environment is beneficial and an improvement over the prior art, the induction conduits extending from the carburetor to the inlet valves of the engine usually are shaped differently from one another and usually are of different lengths that apply different resistance to the air/fuel streams so that it is likely the air and fuel will be delivered to the cylinders of the engine at different rates and at different timing.
Other high performance vehicles use direct fuel injection that can be positioned in the induction conduits on the sides of the engine so that a fuel injector supplies accurate amounts of fuel to the air stream moving through the induction conduit on one side of the engine while another fuel injector functions similarly for the induction conduit on the other side of the engine. Again, the different sizes and shapes of the end portions of the induction conduits that lead directly to the cylinders apply different resistance to the streams and tend to create different amounts and velocities and timing of air and fuel being delivered to the inlet valves of the cylinders. In some instances, the above noted problems of different sizes and shapes of induction conduits leading to the inlets of the cylinders of a high performance engine tend to cause the engine to surge at low speeds, particularly at idle speeds.
In addition, for high performance engines it is desirable to be able to supply a large and equal amount of fuel instantly at the same time to the air streams flowing to each of the cylinders of the engine to maximize the power generated by the engine. Also, it is desirable that the liquid fuel be reduced to its smallest droplet size in the air stream when the air/fuel stream reaches the combustion cylinder for optimum performance of the engine. The smaller the size of the fuel droplets, the more complete and rapid burning is achieved of the air/fuel suspension.
It is to the above-described problems and desires that this invention is directed.